So I've been pining for an F355 since my first ride in one, in about 2000 or so in a friend's '98 berlinetta on Summit Point. I currently drive a 2001 BMW M5. I have an older 911 that I drive from time to time and a company van. Basically, I am fine with having a car that needs work from time to time since I have those two backups, but ONLY if the car is not going to leave me stranded somewhere. I would be selling the M5 if I went the F355 route. Somehow I can't get past the worry that the F355 is going to leave me stranded. Should I worry about this? If most of the problems owners have experienced with them do not prevent me from getting home, that would probably be ok. Dealing with my 911 and the M5, I am used to always having something that needs to be fixed and eventually getting around to fixing myself. I work in the marine industry, and if you think that a Ferrari needs a lot of work you should try owning a boat for a year. That is truly a never ending maintenance situation... I guess what I'm looking for is a push over the edge. Am I going to regret it if I drop 60-70k on this car? I can afford it, but it's too much money for something that I won't get to use when I want to because it's in the shop or needs work. On the price note, am I going to get a good example of a berlinetta for under 70k? Thanks for the input!
I can't directly comment on the reliability aspect since I don't own a 355, but 1 of my coworkers owns one and he's never been stranded by it. He has been religious about maintenance though. I think that is key to having a reliable vehicle. I just bought a 348 after having looked at 355s. I could not find a 355 that had no stories for less than 70K. All the cars I checked on in the 60-70k range had spotty service histories at best and or other wierd issues. So you had to add the cost of a major service at a minimum to them which pushed you back over the 70K mark I'd say for a berlinetta that you can just buy and drive immediately because all service is recent and all records exist, 75-80K is more like it.
If you are worried about being stranded--Buy a Honda. Any car at any time may leave you stranded. Not just Ferraris. Buy a car that has had a recent major and good service history. That will def. help ease your mind about being stranded somewhere. Buy it and stay around locally until you overcome that fear. I just drove mine 3 hours each way to a Concours in PA---no problems--Ran flawlessly!!!
I have owned 3 355s and have never been stranded. The 355 issues are about maintenance costs, not dying out on the road.
Correct! Even then, the maint costs aren't abstract & unjustified. You're driving a race car. This isn't like an Infiniti, where a rebadged Nissan costs you $200 for a common $20 oil change.
Oh- I forgot the other big one. I don't have a garage. I bet some of you will have more reason to say I shouldn't buy one now. To the above comments, I don't have a problem with preventative maintenance. And it's true, I have been stranded by a Porsche, BMW, and even a GMC truck. I guess it's mostly psychological in that I didn't expect it from those cars.
Well it's up to you, for me not having a garage is a big one. The few times I've had the car out it's attracted a ton of attention. If it was outside 24/7 I'd have non-stop strangers sitting in my driveway. If not for the garage, I'd say go for it! In the forum you hear more horror stories. There's a ton of good cars running around that nobody posts about just because there's no problems. (note - read the thread 'I drove my 355 and STILL nothing broke!)
To your original question, the answer is: No, you shouldn't. Not because car is not reliable. It's because you're not ready yet. Most people think they can pick up a 355 with $60-70K and I know they can afford it. But many failed to realize or anticipate the $$ needed in order to bring that $60-70k car to the level of reliability they expect PLUS $$ needed for maintenance down the road and it ain't cheap to maintain a 355 as most here on Fchat knows. Oh, and no garage? That's another big no no. Leaving your 355 out in the elements 24/7? just imagine what that would do to your interior (shrinking dash leather and melting plastic pieces just to name a couple). I think you're better off just keeping your M5 and 911. That 355 would be nothing but headache to you at this point. Just MHO.
You can't leave a 355 outside !!! Since it is not a daily driver, you may be able to rent a storage space or a neighbors garage to keep it in. Assuming there is one nearby.
BMW and Porsche are great cars, but a Ferrari will require more maintenance, more frequent repairs and when it happens don't expect same-day service or parts availability. Also, 355s are older cars now. In addition to some major design issues (manifolds, valve guides, etc.) that may have been rectified, you'll just have to accept some 'old car stuff' that the 308/328 guys know all about (replace old fuel lines, replace old coolant hoses, recore radiator, etc.) There's an owner in San Diego right now having intermittent problems with his 355 Spider stalling on the road. His car looks quite nice, and the owner isn't exactly on food stamps, so it's not like he's scraping by in a 'beater' Ferrari. He did. We're on call. No garage? No Ferrari. Apart from vandalism and stupid insurance rates, you'll have issues with constant moisture through the louvred rear deck and sun destroying the leather dash, etc. Bad Idea. What he said.
I just got stranded when my clutch release bearing failed. No biggie, I have AAA Plus. Leaving the car outside or uncovered is asking for trouble. Unlike your BMW or Porsche, Ferraris are huge magnets for attention...the car WILL get vandalized or broken into. On top of the inevitable wear from the weather....
I live in the country. I'd be more concerned with the elements than vandals. I live at the end of a long, sparsely populated road. I disagree with the assessment that I'm not ready for it. No need to pull the condescending F-car owner "if you have to ask you can't afford it" stuff. I know how much the car will cost to run and maintain. I have done my research. And I think you'd be surprised how much it costs to keep a '73 911 in top running condition. Still something to ponder, I suppose. I guess what I was asking is if the 355 can be used as a real car, albeit one that requires more regular maintenance. I have kept both my Porsche and M5 outside under covers with no negative effects (except for the mice that took up residence in my 911 at one time). It seems that some people are afraid that the F-car will melt if left outside. If that's really the case, maybe I should save myself the trouble and buy a 996 Turbo. I am sure that the 996TT can be left outside and won't turn into a pile of dust. I am not, however, convinced that the F355 cannot be treated like a real car in the same manner, and while I like the 996TT it's no F355.
I've neve been stranded in either of my Ferraris, both 348's. If you stay ahead of the maintenance and treat them right, they will not let you down. Oh yeah, buy the best car you can afford too.
I was stranded by my 355 once in almost 10000 miles. The one weak point in the car is that it has no spare tire! That can of goop is useless if you have a 12 inch gash in the sidewall. And to think it happened on the 99 about 30 miles south of Bakersfield Not a good place to be in a busted Ferrari late on a Saturday night. The rest of the time, the car was perfect. As for no garage, well, I don't park my Mondial inside. In fact the roof only went on for the first time in 18 months last week! If you have your finances lined up, and by that I mean you know what it's REALLY going to cost to run it, and it sounds like you do, just buy it, drive it and enjoy it. Perhaps consider one of those semi portable car shelters. And get a good car cover to put on it when it is not in use. Simple really.... Dave
Buy a older 7 series if you want to keep a BMW in the family and get a 355 with some miles and records. That way you could keep the 355 for the weekends and have the BMW for everyday driving. Not having a garage would pose a problem. You wouldn't want the engine bay of the 355 exposed to the rain where the water could hit the spark plugs. After thinking about it, I would have some sort of garage before I purchased a car off this caliber. Theres no way in hell I would leave it outside.
One thing I learned while owning a 355 is it FEELS much more fragile than it actually is. My car only left me stranded once and that was because of an unforseen pothole. I dont think a 355 can survive well living outside though...others have stated why.
People have mentioned how expensive it is to maintain. The large majority of the costs I have seen from when we had the 348ts was mainly if you paid labor to someone to fix it. Sure, parts cost more than a normal car, but is the F355 really THAT hard to work on if you have at least a rudimentary amount of mechanical knowledge and ability?
I don't think 60-70k$ is enough for a good maintained F355 Remember that service costs can be very high (my last bill was 8.5k$) And I have my car for a year now (10k km's driven) - never broke down Hope that info will help you, good luck!
